


Small Acts of Rebellion Without Witnesses

by pessi_mista



Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: F/F, Implied Lesbophobia, Introspection, Nudity, Post-Canon, Sexism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-25 01:43:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16187483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pessi_mista/pseuds/pessi_mista
Summary: At first, Shaina just thinks that what Marin and her are doing is wrong. But then it occurs to her that there may be hidden motivations behind Marin's attitude.





	Small Acts of Rebellion Without Witnesses

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Thirteenie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thirteenie/gifts).



Still recovering her breath, Shaina was acutely aware of the rising and falling movement of her naked chest, the beach towel beneath her bare body, and the crisp blue sky above. A part of her clang to the lingering warm sensation between her legs, the result of the screaming orgasm she'd experienced shortly before. The other part of her was on alert precisely because it had been a screaming orgasm. What if someone had heard her? 

In theory, that shouldn't be possible. Athena had left in the morning to attend a cultural festival hosted by the Muses, and had been adamant that she wouldn't return until late in the night. The civilians who served her—the maids, the cook, the gardener—were all gone for the weekend, enjoying their days off. The annoying buttler—probably the only one with not enough of a life to want to take days off—had followed Athena to the Muses's temple, as had the other Saints currently protecting the goddess during her vacation. Consequently, for many hours still, Shaina and Marin would have that mansion only to themselves. 

Marin had taken that "mansion only to themselves" situation a little too seriously. It had been her idea to spend the morning by the swimming pool. Initially, that had seemed an innocent enough suggestion, since Athena herself had encouraged both of them to enjoy the mansion's conveniences, relax and have fun. However, Shaina was pretty sure it hadn't occurred to their goddess that her Amazons' day of relaxation would involve nudity and sex in her property. 

Turning her head to the left, Shaina saw her training suit, shoes and mask scattered all over the beige tiles that covered the floor in the pool patio. Some of those pieces would probably have fallen into the pool two meters away from her, hadn't it been for the extreme precision of her moves as she stripped herself bare. An Amazon could still avoid silly accidents even when excited and in a hurry to undress. 

But wasn't an Amazon supposed to control her thoughts and desires as well? In that sense, Shaina had failed miserably. And she had no right to do that, because her life belonged to Athena. As did Marin's. In fact, everything in that place belonged to their goddess, from the two-storey building far behind to the ornamental plants, low trees and bushes surrounding the pool's area, to the pool itself, to the scattered training suit pieces. Or the neatly piled up ones that Marin had deposited about a meter from her own towel. Shaina could still remember having envied Marin's self-control as the latter took off her clothes so carefully and orderly. 

Now turning her head to the right, Shaina looked at Marin. Her sister in arms—oh, how ridiculous it felt to link the word "sister" to a former frenemy and current lover!—had her eyes closed, a serene face and a perfectly controlled breathing. 

_As if nothing happened,_ Shaina thought, a mix of puzzlement and light aggravation dancing together in her mind. _How can you be so shameless?_

Shaina didn't say a word though. She just let her eyes wander all over Marin's body, then back to her face, not without some guilt. 

She really should get up, put her clothes back on, head back to the mansion, lock herself in the way too big bedroom Athena had assigned her—being used to living in tiny houses, Shaina had realized over the past days that comfort made her uncomfortable—and refuse to talk to Marin if the latter dared knock on her door. What had been going on between them was highly inappropriate anyway, and that morning they had crossed a line. 

Athena's mansion was just one of the many properties their multibillionaire goddess owned, and didn't count as a holy place by itself. Still, Shaina felt that what they'd done should count as some sort of profanation. Therefore, it was time to wake up to the reality. She should try to rescue whatever was left of her virtue, and that would inevitably require that she quit seeing Marin. 

Yet, Shaina quickly found that merely taking her eyes off of Marin would be a tough task. How would she not want to kiss those lips, touch that skin, feel those hands travelling all over her body, lick and be licked, suck and be sucked? 

The soft wave of heat washing over her now was not the fault of the sun, of that Shaina was sure. 

Probably, the most embarrassing thing about the sensations Marin elicited in her, the things Marin persuaded her to do, was the fact that neither of them had become a worse Amazon because of their relationship. If only Shaina could argue that they'd been neglecting their duties, like Shaina shamefully used to do back when she used to be obsessed with Marin's disciple, then she'd have the perfect excuse to run away. Not from her lover, but from her own desires. However, both of them retained their reputations as trustworthy, dependable warriors. Shaina couldn't be accused of doing Marin any harm, and couldn't issue any accusations against her either. Besides, they only had their conscience to respond to, because nobody knew about their affair. They were very good at keeping it a secret. 

That was the thought that gave Shaina the strength to turn her eyes away from Marin and back up to the clear sky. 

They'd been together for more than a year now. Albeit not officially forbidden by the Sanctuary's laws, a relationship like theirs was expected to not exist, and they should act accordingly. Shaina had always been fine with that. Marin seemed to feel the same way in the beginning. As beginning couldn't last forever though, she had subtly changed her attitude over the months. An insinuation here, an intriguing sentence there, a vaguely ironic remark every now and then... Still, Marin was not the type to complain openly about whatever might bother her. And being an experienced woman, she was well used to living a dual life, preserving her untarnished image as a supposedly chaste Amazon in the eyes of the world while doing what she actually wanted to do behind closed doors. 

_Maybe that's the problem,_ Shaina thought. _Maybe after years of pretending in silence, she's losing her patience. What we did here today was her way of... I don't know... speaking up? But why did she have to lose her patience now that we're together? Why not when she was with the ones before me? I don't mind being a hypocrite. I really don't. That's better for Athena, for the Sanctuary, for ourselves... for everybody._

Shaina squirmed a little, her back rubbing against the towel beneath her. 

She cast a sideways look at Marin. A second later, Marin opened her eyes. 

They looked at each other in silence for a minute. Marin's only reaction during this time was to draw her lips slightly upward in a soft smile. Shaina's only reaction was to get annoyed at the hard beats of her own heart. 

Then, Marin sat up, held Shaina's right hand and gave it a soft pull up. "It's hot," she said in her typical serene voice. "Let's take a swim." 

Just another pull was enough to make Shaina comply. They both got up, and Shaina followed Marin as they took quick steps ahead, her bare feet getting lightly burned by the heated up tiles. 

As they jumped into the pool, the coldness of the water clashed against Shaina's sun-heated—and Marin-heated too—body in a reinvigorating shock that soon turned into a soothing sensation. She let go of Marin's hand. But in a fast move, Marin grabbed her by the chin and gave her a peck on the lips. Then, with a suggestive smile, Marin withdrew her hand and slowly swam to the other side of the pool. 

For half a minute, Shaina barely moved. She just stayed where she was, watching Marin as the latter closed her eyes and floated on the water, the soft waves washing over her belly and breasts. 

Then, with fast strokes, Shaina swam up to her. In an even faster move, Marin switched her body's position from horizontal to vertical. As soon as Shaina caught up with her, the two locked their lips in a deep kiss. 

Wet arms entwined in a tight, slippery embrace. As Shaina rubbed her nipples against Marin's, her partner fit a leg between her thighs. 

The pulsing sensations bulding up in Shaina's body were about to also claim ownership over her mind. However, a remote spot still left untouched in her consciousness whispered to her that something wasn't right. She tried to push that disturbance away, yearning to surrender to the delicious dizziness that she experienced as Marin pressed that leg rhythmically between hers. 

The rumor of rustling leaves finally hit Shaina's ears though. Despite its softness, to her it sounded like a loud crash. With an abrupt movement, she pushed Marin away and spun around, her eyes seaching frantically for the source of the sound. 

It came from one of the small trees standing around the pool patio. The rustling sounds ceased as two small birds flew away. 

"See?" Marin said, placing a reassuring hand on Shaina's shoulder. "It was just some birds. Nobody's going to see us. You're safe." 

It didn't go unnoticed by Shaina the fact that Marin had said "you" instead of "we." Probably a sign that Marin acknowledged Shaina's fears but didn't share them. 

That acknowledgement wasn't enough for Shaina though. If anything, she felt more alarmed at Marin's audacity. With a rotating move of her shoulder, she rejected Marin's touch and swam back to the other side of the pool, quickly pushing herself out of it. 

The tiled floor felt even hotter under her slippery feet now, but Shaina ignored the burning in her skin as she marched up to her beach towel. She grabbed it and wrapped it around her body just as Marin caught up with her. 

"Shaina, please—"

"I've had enough of it." 

"But—"

"Enough is enough!" Shaina roared. She squatted down to grab Marin's towel, rose back and handed it over to her. "You're going to dry yourself and get dressed," she ordered, pointing at a neatly arranged pile of clothes topped by a silver mask and sided by a pair of shoes. 

Marin gave her an undecipherable look and dropped the towel. 

Shaina watched it as it fell back on the floor. Clenching her fists, she looked back up at Marin. "What's your problem?" 

The only answer she got was silence. Unfazed, Marin passed by her and walked up to the loungers lined five meters ahead. She reclined on the first one she reached and closed her eyes. 

Grumbling, Shaina stomped up. The towel nearly fell off her body, and she had to wrap it around herself again as she sat on the lounger right next to Marin's. To keep her feet from burning, Shaina pulled them up, resting her crossed legs on the cushion. She refused to recline though, positioning herself perpendicularly to Marin so that she'd be able to face her directly. 

For a couple of seconds, Shaina almost lost her resolve. Marin looked decidedly gorgeous, her naked tanned body and wet red hair contrasting with the white cushion beneath them. Shaina felt she could spend an eternity savoring that sight. 

But eternity was too long a time period, and Shaina had pressing issues to address. Breaking free from that quite appealing visual spell, she let out an impatient sigh. "Marin, I'm going to ask it again. What's. Your. Problem?"

Marin didn't bother to reopen her eyes. In her typically calm voice, she said, "None. I'm just obeying Athena." 

"Oh, please." Shaina rolled her eyes. "Since when does Athena go around telling her own Saints to use her properties as love hotels?" 

Now sounding like a teacher, Marin said, "Athena told us that today this mansion would be ours. She told us we'd be free to do as we pleased. She was emphatic when she said that we should put ourselves completely at ease, as if this was our own house. She even joked that we could throw a big party if we wanted to." 

"She joked. That's the keyword here." 

Marin shrugged. "She was definitely serious about all else." 

"Okay. Let's assume she was serious about us doing as we pleased," Shaina conceded. "Now, can we agree that Athena wouldn't in a million years have imagined what exactly you'd want to do in her absence? Can we agree that if Athena could have guessed your plans, she'd never have been that nice to us?" 

"You know, what we're doing isn't illegal." 

"But it is wrong, Marin!" 

"According with whom?" 

Although Marin kept her eyes closed, Shaina raised her right hand and counted on her fingers. "According with the Sanctuary's traditions, according with basically every society around the world, according with common sense—" 

Marin raised her voice ever so slightly, but it was enough to shut Shaina up. "None of that makes what we did illegal." 

Shaina let out another impatient sigh and ran her hand through her wet green locks. "It still is wrong. Why are you being so difficult?" 

Marin didn't answer immediately. Shaina stared at her, stirring on the cushion as the silence dragged on. When she was right about to talk again, Marin finally reopened her eyes. 

Shaina expected that Marin would care to look at her. Instead, Marin turned her eyes up to the blue sky. Her voice sounded almost flat. "If Athena really wanted to, she could make relationships between Amazons illegal. So far, she's never done it. But she could. She's Athena. She can do absolutely anything she pleases." 

Although Shaina opened her mouth, the words died inside her. She let Marin's sentences sink in. After some pondering, she cautiously admitted, "I... I think that when you put it this way... Yes, it... It kind of makes sense." 

Marin spoke again, and this time the near flatness in her voice was tinged by a soft, almost imperceptible harshness. "Athena really can do anything. Nothing is off-limits to her. She remains forever undefeated, because no deity has ever been able to rival her, despite countless attempts. She can indirectly control the lives of the whole human race, as she's the protector of our world. She can also control more directly the lives of her thousands of followers, the two of us included. And she can control to some extent the lives of the civillian employees who work in her for profit and not for profit organizations." 

Shaina frowned. Something about Marin's speech seemed off. "I'm not sure I got what you mean." 

Marin lowered her eyes a little, still not looking at Shaina, but instead fixing them at some point in the distance. Her somewhat strange voice tone remained the same. "Naturally, Athena controls her own life as well. She has her commitments and responsibilities, but for the most part, she has the final say on what she does, where and when. One day, she can attend a business meeting in a luxurious office. The next day, she can host an exclusive dinner for the Bronze Saints at her temple in the Sanctuary. She can spend one week busy with business dealings, and another inspecting us as we train our pupils. Whenever she gets tired of it all, she can take some days off and rest in any of the hundreds of properties she owns all over the world. It could be a small mansion in a tiny Greek island, like this one. Or a huge mansion in Japan. Or a sophisticated beach house in the Caribbean. Or a charming chalet in the Alps." 

Puzzled, Shaina asked, "What does any of that have to do with our situation?" 

"Athena is very powerful," Marin continued, apparently ignoring Shaina's question. "So powerful, that she can have the luxury of not being fully aware of how much power she has in her hands. She also has the luxury of not having to reflect on the use she makes of her own power, and how her choices affect those around her." 

For some reason, Shaina's heartbeats sped up. She stirred in her seat again, her crossed legs suddenly feeling awkward. 

"That's why Athena can bring two Bronze Saints, two Silver Amazons and three Steel Saints with her whenever she leaves the Sanctuary and wants to feel protected. Even though two Saints would have been enough, and we all have our students to teach, and we have an army to rebuild after the wars killed almost all of our colleagues. We had to leave our students behind, neglecting our duties toward them because our duty toward Athena naturally comes first. If Athena wishes to go on a short vacation and feels that she needs seven bodyguards by her side—Tatsumi doesn't count because he isn't a Saint—then that's what she gets." 

Shaina's voice sounded considerably weaker and softer than she intended. "Isn't it fair? She's the goddess after all." 

As if no question had been asked, Marin went on. "That's also why Athena can make choices like the one she did this morning. When she, in the middle of her vacation, wants to go out and realizes that her retinue is too big, she can evaluate her bodyguards and pick among them the ones who are most deserving of accompanying her to prestigious social events. She can then decide that the Muses will be glad that she chose Shiryu, Hyoga, Ushio, Daichi and Sho to escort her to their temple. She can also decide that her two last remaining Silver Saints, who happen to be her most experienced and highest ranked warriors at the moment, are not good enough to accompany her." 

Biting her lips, Shaina hesitated for a moment before presenting her counterargument. Her voice sounded louder, but perhaps a little too strident, betraying the effort she had to put into defending Athena's attitude. "Well, Hyoga and Shiryu may be Bronze Saints, but when you think of all they've done for Athena, it makes sense that she'd choose them. And the other boys have made progress these last years. If their cosmos keeps developing at the current pace, soon they'll win real Clothes and will be able to drop those ridiculous mechanical things forever. Besides, you can't forget that Hyoga and Shiryu aren't just Saints to Athena. They're her friends. Daichi, Sho and Ushio also are relatively close to her, and they're part of a project that was like a gift from her grandfather. So..." Shaina almost trailed off, but pushed herself, albeit with less conviction. "I'm not upset. I'm not offended. I don't envy them. I mean, I do, but I'm okay with Athena's choices, and I think you should be too." 

At last, Marin turned her eyes to Shaina. Her tone and facial expression remained the same though. "I take it you're also okay with Athena's reason for not taking us with her to the Muses's festival." 

Athena had argued that Shaina's and Marin's masks would draw too much attention, and that she didn't want her Amazons to feel uncomfortable. Naturally, their goddess hadn't mentioned that she was the only incarnated deity in the world who demanded that her female servants hid their faces, which was the very reason why they'd have stood out in the festival's crowd. 

Shaina had to admit that Marin's remark had just brought up to the surface a feeling that she'd buried inside herself earlier that morning. Still, Shaina hurried to rebury it as best she could, and said to Marin the same words she'd said to herself when Athena told them why they'd be the only ones not to go out that day. "I think Athena offered us a perfectly reasonable explanation. Not that she owed us one in the first place. We really would have drawn too much attention." 

Marin gave her a half-smile. Then, she turned her eyes back to the undetermined distant spot from before. As the smile vanished from her lips, she spoke again, her apparently flat voice now tinged with a thin coat of somethng that, to Shaina's ears, sounded like bitterness. "Considering how powerful Athena is, she'd have been well within her rights not to explain herself to us. Likewise, she'd have been well within her rights to fix the issue at its root if she wished. There's nothing in the world stopping her from abolishing the mask's law. With a simple short sentence from her, it could be rendered null." 

_Yes,_ Shaina admitted to herself. _It could._

"But," Marin said, "I guess this all comes down to a word that Athena mentioned this morning: attention. It seems that somehow June, you and I have all failed to draw Athena's attention to ourselves, and to the laws and traditions that apply only to ourselves and our female students. That must be why we still are supposed to hide behind masks that no other deity would tell us to wear. That also must be why our male students can walk around the Sanctuary freely in their spare time, whereas our female students have to stay inside the Amazon village. And, as contradictory as it may seem, that must be why Athena ordered the construction of a mini Amazon village in the Andromeda Island, which had never had one before its restoration, probably because nobody ever asked for it. June certainly didn't, her female students didn't, and the women who trained in the Island before them didn't either." 

Shaina uncrossed her legs, but her discomfort didn't go away. So, she crossed them back. 

"At least," Marin continued, "Athena has never made relationships like ours illegal. Then again, it could be just that she doesn't think we Amazons are deserving enough of her attention to justify even that kind of decision on her part. And attention is a scarce resource. One cannot go around wasting it, especially when one is as busy as Athena. By the way, let's not forget that she's yet to nominate a new Pope, and that forces her to rule over the Sanctuary entirely by hersel, without any help whatsoever." 

Shaina swallowed hard. In reality, Athena often turned to her and to Marin for help. They were the oldest among Athena's surviving Saints. They were also by far the most familiar with the Sanctuary's needs and particularities. Which was unsurprising, given that they'd been living at that place the longest out of all their colleagues. Actually, they were the only Saints who still lived permanently in the Sanctuary. The other permanent inhabitants were either soldiers or pupils. 

Yet, it was unlikely that either Marin or her would be rewarded for their efforts by being nominated the next Pope. During her latest visit to the Sanctuary, June had told them about Shun's suspicions that Athena planned to prepare Shiryu for that role. Shiryu, who'd never lived in the place he'd supposedly be governing, had never assisted Athena in ruling it, and was a married man whose wife expected their first child, unlike all previous Popes, who'd been single and childless. And who'd been at the very least Silver Saints, like Marin and Shaina. 

In Athena's defense, Shaina could argue that they shouldn't hope for recognition or rewards. Shaina could argue that by silently helping Athena look good in the eyes of the world, she and Marin fulfilled a natural obligation toward their goddess. 

But Shaina didn't say a word. She just listened on. 

For a moment, Marin's tone sounded warmer. "Anyway, regardless of what one might think of her choices, it's undeniable that Athena is a force for good in the world. Thanks to her, the human race has been spared of suffering pain, humiliation, slavery and death at the hands of other deities." 

"Yes," Shaina hurried to agree, a nervous nod emphasizing her words. "Exactly." 

It seemed to her that Marin's face had hardened slightly. The bright sun and the absence of shadows over the loungers made it tough for Shaina to pretend that she wasn't seeing clearly. So, she had to tell herself that this coud be just her imagination. 

However, that vague harshness from before had now returned to Marin's calm voice, and the warmth was gone. "On a more personal level, the Steel and Bronze Saints, with the possible exceptions of June and Ikki, can only have good things to say about Athena. By the way, it's funny to think that I taught the Saint who'd become her favorite. But all of them are very well-liked by her. Even Ikki, despite the limited reciprocation on his part. I have no doubt that when Athena becomes fond of a servant, her feelings are deep, pure and genuine. And these beautiful feelings of hers currently belong to the Bronze and Steel Saints." 

Swallowing again, Shaina dug her long nails on the cushion beneath her legs. 

Marin let out a tired sigh. Her facial muscles seemed to relax into a faint melancholy expression. "As for the rest of us, the soldiers and students and June and you and I, it's part of our duties to accept Athena as she is. We don't have the right to resent her. We aren't entitled to voicing complaints or calling Athena's behavior into question. All we can do is to serve her loyaly. And obeying her is part of that. That's why when Athena says that you and I must put ourselves completely at ease and enjoy her mansion as if it belonged to us, we must do as she says."

A lump formed in Shaina's throat. She'd known Marin for a long time, since their early days as apprentices. She'd been in an intimate relationship with her for more than a year. Still, she felt that only now she could see the real Marin. 

Despite her previous suspicions about Marin's discontentments, Shaina had no idea they went so deep, and she used to find it relatively easy to dismiss them as things that Marin should just shrug away. But now that would be impossible. She had to offer Marin her support and sympathy. She wanted to do it. 

Leaning forward, Shaina reached out for Marin's hand. As she touched and held it, Marin looked at her. Shaina didn't bother to conceal her quiet but evident emotions from her soft voice. "Thank you, Marin. Thank you for caring. I'm very proud of you. I think you're completely worth of receiving attention and consideration for all that you do, for all that you are. You deserve all the good things in the world." 

Without letting go of Shaina's hand, Marin finally sat up and then stood, her red locks falling over her shoulders as she moved. Shaina stood as well, her mind barely registering the sun-heated tiles under her feet. 

Holding Shaina by the chin, Marin gave her a quick kiss in the lips. Then, she looked into Shaina's eyes, and they smiled at each other. "Thank you, Shaina. You too deserve all the best. Never let anybody make you feel otherwise." 

With that said, Marin gave Shaina's towel a light pull. It was enough to make it fall to the floor. Embracing her by the waist, Marin took a step toward the pool. Shaina nodded and followed her, and they jumped back into the water. 

A gust of wind rustled the leaves in the trees and bushes, but this time Shaina didn't care. She just wanted to lose herself into Marin's kisses, into the wet hands that fondled her breasts, into the thigh fitted back between her legs, into the sensations that would soon lead her to another screaming orgasm. That kind of joy was the very least that she and Marin deserved, all things considered. And Shaina would make sure not to care anymore if their relationship might seem wrong to others, because ultimately it was right for both of them, and that was what mattered.


End file.
